Device for regulating the length of severable extensions of mechanically knotted filaments



.Feb.1'7 ,1970 1 M SA 7 .*s,495,sso j ES DEVICE FOR REGULATI THE LENGT F SEVERABLE' EXTENSIONS OF, MECH CALLY KNOT. Dv FILAMENTS Filed Aug. 2, .1968

United States Patent 86 Int. Cl. B6 h 61/00, 69/06 US. Cl. 289-18 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A single knot-tying assembly or unit may be used in textile knitting machines for obtaining fisherman-type knots with different lengths of the knots severed extensions, by employing a device which operates with predetermined angular displacements that cause the length of the knotted filaments to be severed at difierent distances. Changes of the knot-tying unit in the machine are therefore eliminated.

The present invention relates to an improvement in the presently used knot-tying assemblies or units which are employed in textile industries for making the so-called fisherman knots.

Every type of assembly or mechanism for tying knots in filamentary materials, which knots are generally known as fisherman knots" results in the obtainment of knots, the severed extension of which have a constant length. This is so, because the extensions to be severed depend on the constant angular displacement of the tensioning arm which acts between the fingers or pincers of the knot-tying mechanism itself. Consequently, if it is desired to have in a given filament knots with difierent length in their severed extensions, it is necessary to change the type of knot-tying mechanism or unit employed.

This necessity of continuously substituting or exchanging knot-tying mechanisms is, obviously, both time consuming and expensive due to the large number of difierent knot-tying units to be kept at hand. It becomes, therefore, of great importance, to be able to obtain with a single knot-tying mechanism fisherman knots of predetermined and various length in their severed extensions and to be enabled to satisfy with ease and rapidity the demands of the characteristics of the filamentary material-cotton, wool, synthetic yarn, and the likewhich may be extremely thin, slippery, coarse, irregular, etc. and varies from textile material to textile material and also with the type of tension and feed employed in the knitting machine.

It is, therefore, the main object of the present invention to resolve the problem mentioned above by applying a special device to the conventional filament-knotting mechanisms, which device will regulate the length of the severed extensions of the fisherman knots effected by these mechanisms or units.

Briefly stated, the device of the invention achieves the regulation of the severed extensions by varying, according to the manufacture needs, the amplitude of the angular displacements of the tensioning arm which acts between the fingers of the knotting mechanism. The device of the invention comprises a balancing lever of known types which supports the tensioning arm and is engaged by a slide plate which is vertically displaceable by means of a positioning lever, so that, as a result, the angular displacement of the balancing lever is regulated and, correspondingly, the upward and downward displacements of the tensioning arm are controlled.

As a result of this operation, the cam, with which the knotting mechanism is generally provided, acting 0n the tensioning arm, determines a greater or lesser angular displacement of the arm and, therefore, the use of a greater or lesser amount of filament, which results in longer or shorter severable extensions of the fisherman knots.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments thereof and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES l and 2 are top and elevation views, respectively, of the assembled device of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the assembly of FIGURE 2, taken in the direction of the arrows AA;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the assembly of FIG- URE 2, taken in the direction of the arrows B-B;

FIGURE 5 shows the means for controlling the angular displacements of the balancing lever supporting the tensioning arm; and

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 illustrate various types of severed lengths of fisherman knots.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, a balancing lever 3 is pivotably connected through pin 4 to a support 5. To the frontal portion of the balancing lever 3 is connected, pivotably by means of pin 2, the tensioning arm 1 which is actuated by a tortion spring 2'. Pin 2 is also connected to the lever 6 on which acts cam 7. Cam 7 is mounted on shaft 8 of the knot-tying assembly or unit and determines, together with shaft 8, the angular displacements of lever 6 and, consequently, the angular displacements of the tensioning arm 1.

The rear extension 9 of the balancing lever 3 is engaged in slot 11 of slide plate 10. Plate 10, which is vertically displaceable, is provided in its intermediate position with a vertical slot 12 and, below it, with a horizontal slot 13. The slide plate 10 is, furthermore, actuated by a positioning lever 14 which is pivotably mounted on pin 15 and comprises a guide pin 16. Guide pin 16 is seated and guided in the lower horizontal slot 13. The slide plate 10 and the lever 14 are joined to or loosely mounted on the body of the knot-tying mechanism by means of screw 17 which passes through the vertical slot 12 of the slide plate 10 and into an arcuate slot 18 provided in the positioning lever 14.

As to the operation of the device of the invention, it can be readily seen that, by regulating vertically the position of the slide plate 10, by means of the lever 14, one can determine the angular displacement of the balancing lever 3. To this angular displacement corresponds a slight and substantially vertical displacement, in one direction or the other, of the frontal portion of the balancing lever 3 and, consequently, of the pin 2, the lever 6, and the tensioning arm 1. Because of this, the cam 7 of the knotting mechanism can determine a greater or lesser displacement of the lever 6 and, consequently, a greater or lesser angular displacement of the tensioning arm 1.

Thus, the tensioning arm 1, which acts between the fingers of the knotting mechanism on the filaments during the knotting phase of the knitting machine, determines the degree of filament feed between the fingers of the knotting mechanism, as a function of the desired length of the severable extensions of the fisherman knots.

Depending on the position dictated to the balancing lever 3 and, therefore, to the tensioning arm 1, it is possible to obtain knots with severable extensions of different length, this length being predetermined by the requirements of the filaments employed. This is illustra J tively shown in FIGURES 6 to 8 of the accompanying drawings. 7

'To facilitate the selection of the position of the balancing lever 3 to obtain the desired length in the severable extensions of the knots, there is provided on the rear surface of the body of the knotting mechanism a scale of values between a maximum and a minimum which correspond to predetermined lengths of the severable extensions of the knots. The scale of values is used, obviously, in conjunction with the positioning lever 14 of the *device of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In the knotting methanism of a knitting machine for effecting fisherman-type knots, the improvement for regulating the length of the 'severable extensions of mechanically' knotted filaments, which comprises in combination W (a) a balancing lever pivptably connected to said knotting mechanism, 7 '1 (b) a tensioning arm supported by said balancing lever and capable of angular displacements, if c) a slide plate engaged to saidvbalancing lever, on

bidirectional displacements, said vertical displace-.

ments determining the angular displacements of said tensioning arm. a

2. The improvement inv accordance with claim 1, wherein said slide plate is actuated by a positioning lever pivotably connected to said knotting mechanism, said positioning lever having in its lower portion a horizontal slot with a guide pin seated in said horizontal slot, a vertical slot, and an arcuate slot with a fastening means connected thereto, said fastening'rneans guiding said slide plate and said positioning lever to a blocked predetermined position in accordance with the operation of the tensioning arm. '1

References Cited LOUIS KiRIMRODT, Primary Examiner 

